The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Cornerstone Counters Local Price Increases

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Cornerstone Pros in Land O’ Lakes is always keeping a sharp eye on how it can benefit its customers by saving money, especially now, in the current economic climate. The answer for this summer: rebates.

Different from a coupon, rebates allow buyers to get money back for the purchase. They come from the utility company and/or manufacturer. Once your rebate application has been processed and closed, you should see a check or credit in the mail if it wasn’t already applied at the time of purchase.

“If you’re looking to update your water heater or gas furnace, we recommend you take advantage of rebates, and act now while utility companies and manufacturers are offering them,” said Miguel Silva of Cornerstone Pros.

Price increases are happening everywhere, and Cornerstone Pros has done its best to keep its prices as low as possible and is continuing to try to make its services affordable for homeowners. They also want customers to be aware of any deals that can save them money in the long run.

Right now, utility companies, like TECO, are offering rebates for Tank Water Heating, ENERGY STAR Tank Water Heating, Tankless Water Heating, and Gas Furnaces.

“Unfortunately, water heaters age and eventually will start to fail. Some warning signs include corrosion buildup on pipe fittings, water leaks, hot water that doesn’t last long enough or hot water that is MIA,” said Silva. “We always recommend regular maintenance and planning ahead when it comes to taking care of your home. This will save you money, and allow you to budget for future repairs.”

Cornerstone Pros recommends going tankless. While the rebate is offered for tankless systems, it’s best to take advantage of it. Tankless water heating not only gets rid of that enormous tank, but it also carries a longer warranty than the average water heater.

“Tankless water heaters heat up on-demand for 99% operational efficiency,” adds Silva.

This guarantees that customers don’t have to pay to maintain the heat; they will only need to pay when they use the hot water. Tankless isn’t instant hot water, but it does warrant endless hot water throughout someone’s home.

“Tankless heaters were engineered with safety in mind; their designs incorporate numerous user-friendly features along with technologies like dry-fire defense, freeze protection, smart-grid capabilities and leak detection that prevent product failure,” said Silva.

There are plenty more rebates to take advantage of this summer. Manufacturers also are offering rebates to customers who are looking to update their appliances. Right now, you can receive $1,000 off of the Daikin Fit System and $500 off the Daikin 20 Seer System.

For information on different rebate offers and how you can qualify, head over to the TECO website, www.peoplesgas.com/residential/saveenergy/rebates/, or call Cornerstone Pros at 813-995-7558, and visit their website, CornerstonePros.com.

Published June 29, 2022

Spend Your July 4 with Avalon Park Wesley Chapel!

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July 4th is right around the corner, and Avalon Park Wesley Chapel – a premier master-planned community in Pasco County – is inviting the public to its annual 4th of July Celebration! The event kicks off at 5 p.m., and will end with an extraordinary fireworks display at 9 p.m.

This fun-for-all-ages event will include community performances, food trucks, a bike parade and patriotic bake-off, bounce houses, and numerous exhibitors and vendors.

“If you have not yet visited Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, our 4th of July celebration is a great way to experience the fun, family atmosphere we offer every day of the year,” says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing for Avalon Park Group.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel would like to thank its Title Sponsor, Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel. Stop by and see a sample of its showroom at the event!

In The Pocket

Groundbreaking Ceremony Around The Corner
The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s first phase of its downtown area. The ceremony will be on July 14 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the construction site, 33613 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. Refreshments will be provided, and guests can enjoy performances and entertainment by community partners, Jazz Under the Starz, The Wesley Chapel Theater Group and the Pasco County Fine Arts Council.

Featured musical performers for the groundbreaking ceremony will include In The Pocket –  a group of musicians, all are from the Tampa area, that plays an assortment of genres ranging from Jazz, Latin, Funk, and Hiphop/R&B – as well as Frankie Brown, a Tampa native who recently graduated from Miles College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.

Shawn Rainey

Artist Shawn Rainey, known as Fabstraq, also will be at the event showcasing his one-of-a-kind abstract pieces known for their vibrant colors.

The downtown area’s three-story, 73,067-square-foot mixed-use building plans to include 40 multi-family apartments and 23,720 square feet of commercial/retail space on the ground floor. Initial plans for the commercial/retail space include an approximately 12,000-square-foot food hall called the Marketplace at Avalon Park and the fourth location of the globally connected co-working space, The 5th Floor.

“This phase of construction really helps us move even closer to that vision of building a place where families can build memories and traditions together in a town they can call their own,” says Beat Kahli, CEO of Avalon Park Group. “And while this may not be the most cost-effective time to begin construction, we feel like it is important to continue on to the next step in developing our vision for Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.”

Frankie Brown

Additionally, a 2-acre community park with an amphitheater is in permitting and will begin construction later this summer. The park will host community events such as Avalon Aglow and Fourth of July, as well as community partners like Jazz Under the Starz and The Wesley Chapel Theater Group, who already are hosting events and activities. Construction of both the park and mixed-use building is scheduled for completion in late 2023.

“We have been working with Pasco County over the past several years to develop a program that will be a win-win for the entire Wesley Chapel community,” Kahli says. “Community partnerships are vital to our mission to change the way the world lives, learns, works and plays, by creating a place where everyone can feel like they belong.”

Upon completion, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will encompass more than 1,800 acres and will host approximately 400,000 square feet of retail and 100,000 square feet of office space in its downtown. The initial construction in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel began in 2018 with the addition of the Pinecrest Academy K-7 Charter School. Pinecrest also is now under construction of its second phase, which includes the addition of approximately 600 sixth-eighth grade student stations.

For more information on Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, please visit online at AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com, or email .

Published June 29, 2022

Lightning fans taste the joy of victory, agony of defeat

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The Colorado Avalanche ended the Tampa Bay Lightning’s bid to take home the Stanley Cup for the third consecutive time.

Instead, the Avalanche clinched the best of seven games finals in Game 6, at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa.

The Avalanche won 2-1, in a series that had a bit of everything. Each team had a blow-out win, two games were decided in overtime and two games were settled by one-point margins.

Players battled through injuries, and ultimately, the fans were the winners — watching two teams that gave it their all.

Arenas in each town were filled with cheering crowds and there were outdoor watch parties, too, including gatherings at the KRATE, at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

A live shot of crowds arriving at Ball Arena in Denver prior to the start of the first game in the Stanley Cup Finals, shown on the big screen TV at a free watch party held at the KRATE, at the Grove at Wesley Chapel. (Fred Bellet)
Andrew Olson, of Brooksville, wears his 2021 Stanley Cup Champions cap, as he and his wife, Melissa, watch the Tampa Bay Lightning struggle against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Olson, a former Blackhawks fan, switched his allegiance to the Lightning when he moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2005.
It may have been raining, but die-hard Tampa Bay Lightning fans attended a watch party at the KRATE, in the Grove at Wesley Chapel. Dennise Colon, of Wesley Chapel, right, under her umbrella did not let rain stop her from watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. She was at the free, outdoor event hosted by KRATE, with her husband, Ramon, and daughters, Selyse, 11, and Sariya,12.
Here, the goal cam in Denver’s Ball Arena captures Bolt’s goaltender No. 88 Andrei Vasilevskiy, as he blocks a shot.
Tina Burkardt, of Wesley Chapel, brought a portable fan to keep her cool, while watching the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. She didn’t bring an umbrella, which would have been helpful, too.
Ten-year-old Jaxson Twisdale bites nervously on the tip of his foam rubber Bolts finger. He was at the KRATE with his parents, Jim and Theresa Twisdale, of Land O’ Lakes, for a free watch party. The Avalanche dominated in a 7-0 win over the Bolts in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Watching the big screen TV, fans cheer as the Tampa Bay Lightning tie up the game 3-3 against the Colorado Avalanche. The first Stanley Cup Finals game went into overtime, with the Avalanche defeating Tampa Bay, 4 to 3.

 

 

Tax Collector’s Office raises $7,100 for Special Olympics

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Donations adding up to $7,100 will benefit Special Olympics of Pasco, which was the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office featured charitable organization for April.

Special Olympics of Pasco is a sports and training program for people with intellectual disabilities. Fifteen hundred students participate in the program in Pasco, according to a news release from the tax collector’s office.

Tim Couet, chief deputy tax collector; Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector; John Yerke, leadership coordinator for Special Olympics of Pasco; athletes, family members and tax collector staff all were on hand for the check presentation to the Special Olympics. (Courtesy of Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office)

The program provides training, free of charge, in almost two dozen different sports.

Funds raised last year helped the Pasco team attend the 2022 National Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando earlier this month, where the Pasco County flag football team, the Dolphins, won gold. Additionally, two Pasco athletes medaled in swimming and the triathlon (Andrew Ahearn won bronze in swimming and triathlon, and Walter Fischer won gold and two bronze medals in relay swimming events).

“Special Olympics of Pasco County would like to thank the Mike Fasano Tax Collector Offices for their donation,” John Yerke, leadership coordinator for Special Olympics of Pasco, said in the release. “These funds will help spread the word about acceptance and inclusion across Pasco County.”

“Special Olympics of Pasco has long held a special place in my heart,” Tax Collector Mike Fasano, said in the release. “I’m proud that our staff and our community supports this organization that helps bring purpose to so many lives. The athletes and the volunteers who work with them are some of the kindest, most positive people I have ever met. So many of the athletes have intellectual challenges that make life difficult. To see the joy on the face of an athlete as they cross the finish line is indescribable. Special Olympics of Pasco provides a respite from the difficulties many deal with daily. It also provides a place to be with others who also aspire to do their very best.”

For more details regarding the charitable giving program, or services provided by the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, call Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector at 727-847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

For more information about Special Olympics of Pasco, contact Joeyn Dearsman, senior program manager, at 727-774-3062 or SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org/contact.

Published June 29, 2022

Kids supporting kids

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(Courtesy of Susan Slater)

Six-year-old Brooke Jordan and 9-year-old Connor Jordan recently set up a lemonade stand on North Avenue in front of their Grandma and Papa’s house in Zephyrhills. Their purpose for the stand was to raise money for Zephyrhills Elks Lodge #2731 Feed the Kids Program. Their idea was inspired from a video on You Tube, a song called, “The Duck Song,” about a duck who goes to a lemonade stand. Connor said, “ I wanted to do it because Jesus would have wanted me to. It made me feel good about myself.” Brooke added, “I do not want the kids to go hungry,” in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

Papa Louis Jordan helped the children make the lemonade stand out of wood, metal pipes and cardboard. Their mother, April Jordan, gave the children decoration ideas. Grandma Stancy Jordan and the children made the lemonade, which they sold for $1 a cup.

The family advertised the lemonade stand at their school and their church. “People were giving us more than what it costs,” said Connor. The largest donation they received from one person was $20. In total, they raised $140 for the program.

Connor and Brooke, accompanied by their parents, on June 6 presented their donation to the Zephyrhills Elks Lodge #2731 during a business meeting. Donna Moyer, program chair, introduced the children while Exalted Ruler Jay Klamer accepted their donation and presented them both Elk pins.

Spend your July with Avalon Park Wesley Chapel

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Families choose to live in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel because it’s much more than just another subdivision with homes and amenities.

One of the many things that sets the premier master-planned community in Pasco County apart from other planned developments is its long history of hosting special events.

Over the next few weeks, the public is invited to THREE highly anticipated events.

JULY 4 CELEBRATION
To kickstart the action-packed month, Avalon Park’s is hosting its annual 4th of July Celebration that begins at 5 p.m. and ends with a fabulous fireworks display at 9 p.m.

This fun-for-all-ages event will include community performances, food trucks, a bike parade and patriotic bake-off, bounce houses, and numerous exhibitors and vendors. Thank you to our Title Sponsor, Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel. Stop by and see a sample of their showroom at the event!

“If you have not yet visited Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, our 4th of July celebration is a great way to experience the fun, family atmosphere we offer every day of the year,” says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing for Avalon Park Group.

Downtown Avalon Park Now Under Construction
The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s first phase of its downtown area. The ceremony will be held on July 14 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the construction site, 33613 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. Refreshments will be provided, and guests can enjoy performances and entertainment by community partners, Jazz Under the Starz, The Wesley Chapel Theater Group and the Pasco County Fine Arts Council.

The three-story, 73,067-square-foot mixed-use building plans to include 40 multi-family apartments and 23,720 square feet of commercial/retail space on the ground floor. Initial plans for the commercial/retail space include an approximately 12,000-square-foot food hall called the Marketplace at Avalon Park and the fourth location of the globally connected co-working space, The 5th Floor.

“This phase of construction really helps us move even closer to that vision of building a place where families can build memories and traditions together in a town they can call their own,” says Beat Kahli, CEO of Avalon Park Group.

Additionally, a 2-acre community park with an amphitheater is in permitting and will begin construction later this summer. The park will host community events such as Avalon Aglow and Fourth of July , as well as community partners like Jazz Under the Starz and The Wesley Chapel Theater Group, who are already hosting events and activities. Construction of both the park and mixed-use building are scheduled for completion in late 2023.

Jazz Under the Stars
Jazz Under the Starz was founded by Arlene Brooks, who owns and operates Coffee Speaks n Tea Talks in New Tampa.

Her business closed for a period of time during the pandemic, but eventually reopened. This was when Brooks realized that she needed to come up with a way to get people back into her parking lot.

“My goal with Jazz Under the Starz was to bring what was inside the coffee shop to the parking lot, and create a safe, soulful environment for people to enjoy music and feel like a community again,” said Brooks.

What no one ever could have predicted was the sheer popularity of the event.

With so much growth, Brooks yearned for a permanent home for Jazz Under the Starz. As it would turn out, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel was a perfect fit.

“It was an instantaneous connection and partnership,” said Brooks.

Jazz Under the Starz is held every third Saturday of the month, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a different band performing at each concert. The event features smooth jazz, including musicians on guitar, sax, clarinet, keyboard, violin and steel drum.

“These types of concerts and events really aren’t going on anywhere else in New Tampa/Wesley Chapel,” said Brooks. “My goal is to push the arts and celebrate all types of creativity as a community.”

The next Jazz Under the Starz concert will be on July 16, at 33501 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, which is located behind Pinecrest Academy on Avalon Park property.

“You can purchase your tickets now on our website,” said Brooks. “Children under 12 are free, and pets are allowed as long as they aren’t aggressive and owners are cleaning up after their furry friends.”

Visitors also can bring their own lawn chairs and coolers to the concert.

For more information about the concert events, visit JazzUnderTheStarz.com.

Having a grand time, at the ‘prom’

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The dancers came in all ages, sporting various styles.

Some did solo numbers, while others danced in pairs. Some formed a conga line and danced around the floor at the recreation center at Wesley Chapel District Park.

Participants at the Dance your Dream party seemed to be having a great time, as they snaked around the Wesley Chapel District Park gymnasium. (Fred Bellet)

All in all, about 100 people were there to move to the music, have some refreshments and simply enjoy themselves at  “Dance your Dream,” a free event on June 11. The gathering was sponsored by HOPE Services, a vocational service organization.

The two-hour event brought people living with disabilities together for a chance to look great and groove to the music. They came from as close as Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and Tampa to as far away as Seffner and Brandon.

Those attending were encouraged to wear their “prom attire” and to get on the dance floor to show off their moves.

Besides dancing, there were refreshments provided by Chick-fil-A and a chance to meet the Chick-fil-A mascot.

In addition to providing the opportunity for a good time, the event doubled as a fundraiser for HOPE Services’ new Life Skills Center, which is expected to open this year.

Event-goers could bid on silent auction items and try their luck in some raffles.

The new Life Skills Center will assist people living with disabilities with everyday life skills and employable skills in food services, construction, hospitality, retail, and computer skills.

Published June 22, 2022

Cerebral palsy did not stop 36-year-old Jason Wenner, of Wesley Chapel, from rocking out in his wheelchair, as he delights to the music at the Dance your Dream party. Jason’s mother, Linda Wenner, left, said Jason was born premature and weighed just 12 ounces at birth. She described him as the family’s ‘miracle baby.’
If anyone was having a great time at the Dance your Dream party, it was clearly 39-year-old Josh Goldsmith, as he gets in on a group photo with 32-year-old Kim Gordon and 44-year-old Steven Moran, all of Tampa. About 100 people who live with disabilities attended a free prom attire dance party at the Wesley Chapel District Park gymnasium and activity rooms.
Early-arriver Brandon Wheeler, a 21-year-old from Seffner, got everything started at the party — showing off his dance moves on the floor, and concluding with a spectacular finish.
Thirty-six-year-old Keishawn Tolberg, left, is led on to the dance floor by her mother, Felicia McCardy, right, of Seffner. Keishawn’s smile lit up the dance floor at the Dance your Dream prom attire dance party.
Thirty-two-year-old Kim Gordon and 44-year-old Steven Moran dance the night away.
Twenty-two-year-old Joshua Tapia, of Wesley Chapel, shows off some fancy footwork, as he dances with his friend, Race Herron, of Lutz.
Dancing solo, Kimberly Watkins, 45, of Brandon, shows her dance technique, as she and others dance to the sounds of music from the DJs of Sandwich F.M.

Lions Club bingo donates $2,500 kids food program

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The Zephyrhills Lions Club bingo players have a 50/50 raffle every Tuesday, of which half the proceeds go to local charities.

Recently, $2,500 was raised to donate to the Zephyrhills Elks Lodge No. 2731 Feed the Kids Summer Program.

Anyone with children can participate in the program. Meals can be picked up at the Elks Lodge, 6851 Wire Road, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., during the summer. The program begins on June 6 and ends on Aug. 5.

Every other Wednesday the giveaway also will include a craft package with various projects for holidays, as well as anti-bullying and drug awareness.

Park & Play will be featured on the alternate Wednesdays, where kids can play games, get books to read, receive a dictionary and school supplies in backpacks.

From left Gwen Klamer, volunteer; David Moyer, Elks leading knight; Donna Moyer, Elks program chairperson; John DiLorenzo, Lions president; Jay Klamer, Elks exalted ruler; Anne MacDonald, volunteer; and Wayne Page, Elks trustee. From left: Gwen Klamer, volunteer; David Moyer, Elks leading knight; Donna Moyer, Elks program chairperson; John DiLorenzo, Lions president; Jay Klamer, Elks exalted ruler; Anne MacDonald, volunteer; and Wayne Page, Elks trustee. (Courtesy of Susan Slater)

Avalon Applauds Rescue Pets of Florida

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Congratulations to Rescue Pets of Florida for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Rescue Pets of Florida’s mission is to rescue, vaccinate, spay/neuter, and find loving adoptive homes for stray, abandoned and neglected cats and dogs. The nonprofit also wants to increase public awareness of the companion animal overpopulation issue, and provide solutions to end the killing of adoptable animals in the Tampa Bay area.

The nonprofit did an outstanding 3,500+ adoptions last year. It routinely works with local shelters and the Humane Society, who are usually always at capacity (or over).

“It’s the fulfillment one feels when doing it, that makes it all worthwhile,” says Jeanine Cohen, founder of Rescue Pets of Florida.

Adoption is so important to the nonprofit that last year they spent over $150,000 just on vet care, which ensures each furry friend is healthy and ready to be adopted.

“I am super proud of how this rescue is able to fundraise to pay for life-saving operations that most people wouldn’t be able to afford,” says Cohen.

One of the nonprofits’ cats, DoSiDo, is a perfect example of this. DoSiDo had to have a Pectus Excavatum, which ran close to $4,000. Another cat, Sidney, recently had to have a liver shunt repair that cost $3,750.

“When you donate to us, every penny counts. We are committed to saving animals that may have otherwise been euthanized due to their high cost of care,” says Cohen.

According to Cohen, the two main ways you can help support Rescue Pets of Florida is by becoming a volunteer, or fostering a pet in need.

Cohen and her team will make sure to provide a foster parent with all the support and materials they will need, which includes a supportive group chat that will answer any questions and provide emotional support to help with the process.

The community can also help support Rescue Pets of Florida by sending monetary donations through its Paypal, Venmo, Facebook Page or by purchasing items on its Amazon wishlist, which you can also drop off at any of the nonprofit’s adoption center locations. Some of the nonprofit’s most needed items are wet cat food and pee pads.

Rescue Pets of Florida’s adoption centers, which are open seven days a week, are located at five PetSmarts in the Tampa Bay area. One of them is right here at the PetSmart at The Grove in Wesley Chapel.

“We would not be successful with our adoptions without PetSmart Charities,” says Cohen, “We show cats and kittens seven days a week at each of our locations. PetSmart donates a free bag of food, and coupons galore to each adopter.”

For more information, go to www.rescuecatsofflorida.org. To check out the nonprofit’s Amazon Wishlist, go to tinyurl.com/2s3u2fcs.

‘Bad Water Quality is Costing You Money’ says Cornerstone Pros

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Your tap water may not be as clean as it looks. If your house has a hard water system, odds are it’s filled with impurities, including microbes, lead, fluoride, disinfectants and other toxins.

The answer? Water softeners. Home piping extends far beyond just the sink. It’s our dishwashers, showers and washing machines. Hard water has minerals that can corrode all of these appliances over time. Water softeners relieve this by getting rid of those minerals and extending their shelf life.

“Addressing your home’s water quality problems is a must-do; everything takes water,” said Miguel Silva of Cornerstone Pros Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical in Land O’ Lakes. Miguel has been in the business for years and has seen firsthand the improvement that water softeners have brought to families.

The benefits of saving money with soft water extend even further. Over time, you’ll spend less on products such as soaps and detergents. Soft water creates more suds and a quicker lather by not being exposed to compounds.

Softer skin and hair is an added bonus and can help you save money on personal care products like conditioner and hair masks.

“The quality of your water can have a direct effect on your health,” said Silva. “Don’t save it for a rainy day. When you choose us, we can help you achieve the right-as-rain H2O you deserve.”

Cornerstone Pros also offers bundles with their AC units. You can get a water treatment or a tankless water heater and an AC unit at a discounted rate.

Tankless water heating gets rid of that large tank in your garage or closet, saving you space. Going tankless also saves you money by lowering your energy bill, since you’re no longer paying for hot water 24 hours a day, only when you need it. With today’s technology, you can download apps that monitor your hot water consumption and manually turn the heater on and off, all from the convenience of your phone.

“Tankless heaters were engineered with safety in mind; their designs incorporate numerous user-friendly features along with technologies like dry-fire defense, freeze protection, smart-grid capabilities and leak detection that prevent product failure,” said James Reese, plumbing service manager at Cornerstone Pros.

For more information on how you can start saving space and money in your home, visit CornerstonePros.com, or call 813-909-0345.

Published May 25, 2022